Studies of the fast ignition route to inertial confinement fusion at the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory

The Rutherford Appleton Laboratory has been at the forefront of investigati ons into the physics associated with the fast ignition concept for inertial confinement fusion. This scheme involves complex laser-plasma processes, t he theoretical understanding of which relies heavily on particle-in-cell ca lculations. In this paper, three experiments displaying quantitative agreem ent with detailed multi-dimensional PIC calculations are reviewed: hole-bor ing velocity measurements; relativistic self-focusing; and harmonic generat ion from plasma surfaces. Qualitative agreement of hot electron temperature measurements with PIC simulations are also discussed. The authors believe these results are very encouraging for the fast ignition concept. (C) 1999 Published by Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.